All day yesterday I was trapped under something heavy (like, fourteen iron skillets) and I didn’t even realize until late last night that I hadn’t posted anything on Confessions all the live long day. Once I realized what I’d done, I started trembling, as I’ve hardly missed a weekday of posting since I started this upsetting little website 2 1/2 years ago, and after I went to bed I had nightmares all night as a result of not posting here. I tell you—cooking will do that to me. When I get into these long days of cooking, I get into a zone, and food becomes my focus, my discipline, my purpose. I forget everything else in the world except how small the dice of onion needs to be and whether this dish needs 1 tablespoon of soy sauce…or two. Suddenly, world peace hinges on whether to wrap 1/2 piece of bacon around a jalapeño, or 1/3…and whether I should go ahead and wash all these pots and pans, or just sell the house altogether. Then I go to bed at night and dream that flour is choking me, and butter is oozing out of my return air registers. I’m not making this up—this is actually what I dreamed last night. I just love it when I dream about food!

Speaking of focus, look at the expression on my baby’s face:

I love using a telephoto lens. He never knows I’m taking his photo.

What do you suppose he’s thinking about? Tractors? Trains? Superheros? The fact that he has a Kirk Douglas chin?

I can guarantee you he’s not thinking about the size of an onion dice.

Unless it’s The Hulk who’s dicing an onion. Or Spider Man wrapping the bacon around a jalapeño pepper. Then yeah, that could be what he’s thinking about.

I just love watching my baby in action.

The size of his tiny Wranglers…

His little tucked-in shirt.

And okay, I know he’s four. But no he isn’t. He’s my baby.

My baby is very focused.

I also love his determined little scowl.

If he’s not careful, he’ll have a nice, deep Number Eleven between his eyebrows when he’s 39…just like his Botox-deprived mother does now.

Except on him, I’ll bet it’ll look really cute.

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Long Live The Number Eleven! Number Eleven RULES!

Sorry. I just have to shout that out several times a day. Otherwise, I’ll start crying.

Catydidit On Thursday, August 21 at 8:14 pm

He will probably get the gene for the prematurely gray hair too (I have that!) and just be overwhelmingly handsome and serious and Kirk Douglassish. I would gush about his cuteness too, but my twin granddaughters arrived today and definitely own “cute”.

cheryl On Thursday, August 21 at 8:37 pm

I did miss your blog yesterday. Not having your blog to wake up to was like not getting your morning paper, or not having any coffee, or no crossword puzzle in the morning or not having my frosted flakes that i have to have in order to function. you were missed!!!!!

Maureen On Thursday, August 21 at 9:36 pm

What a darling boy! Don’t feel too bad about the baby thing…I’m 50 and my mother is 88, but I’m still her baby.
She also has the “11″ lines (as did her older brother) and I still ask her all the time why she’s mad at the world!

Okay I’ve recently started sportin’ me some 11′s, too! But more than that are the parentheses on either side of my mouth! I’m getting wrinkles early in life!
But as for your little cutie,he really is adorable. Lovin’ those Wranglers!

MaryB in Richmond On Thursday, August 21 at 9:37 pm

Sabrina S On Thursday, August 21 at 9:47 pm

What great pics. I would love to know what kind of lens you use- I want to upgrade…and there is a lens I want but it is $1500…would love to find one a little more in my price range that would get me some great shots. THANKS!

What a sweetie! I’m constantly surprised when I look at my little cherubs and realize that they’re so much bigger now than they were when they were born. I have a hard time not thinking of them as my little infants… *sniffle*

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goldengirls On Thursday, August 21 at 10:03 pm

I laughed looking at his photos. Does he ever smile? He always looks so serious! He’s like a mini Marlboro Man…

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Meira On Thursday, August 21 at 10:29 pm

PRECIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you and your husband do have some good looking children! too cute!

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Elaine L. On Thursday, August 21 at 10:36 pm

I love pictures of your little man. And, a four year old is still a baby.

By the way, do realize that not many four year olds can climb a fence that well?

Even though I’m the lowly #424, I still have to say that my baby is 6, and he already has the permanently furrowed brow, too. Every single person who meets him says, “He’s so serious.”
Seriously.
And isn’t it endearingly cute?

It simply amazes me how big my 4 year old is and how grown up she becomes every day. She’s just huge around here, especially since the baby was born. Then I take a look at your 4 year old and I’m thankfully, blissfully reminded that I can take a deep breath, relax and know that my girl is still so very small.

Too cute for his own britches…I mean Wranglers. What an ad for that company !
Now for the subject of BOTOX . I can’t imagine you ever needing Botox.
Your face won’t ever move again if you do that. And who knows? It might cause your fingers to stop moving, too. Then what would we do if you couldn’t type or take photographs?

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BigTips On Thursday, August 21 at 11:20 pm

He’s probably thinkin’: “Hmmm…I wonder what it’s like in the big city”?

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Susan On Thursday, August 21 at 11:24 pm

I love the concentration lips. They purse..they pucker,..they get crinklely thin with corners turned down and then..the tongue comes out.

I just love his face! The expression and the “focus” completely remind me of my beloved godson, my sister’s oldest boy (now 20) who used to look the same way. Thinking…it…all…thru… He’s 21 now, taller than me and lanky, but he has that same sweet “number 11.” Makes me want to call him and send him a hug over the phones (won’t see him in person until December). Thanks, PW.

Those blue eyes. He is going to get away with a lot in life because of those blue eyes.

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Piia On Friday, August 22 at 7:20 am

It always gives me relieve to see another kid that has more of a monkey in him/her than human (this is said in most lovingly way!). I have 3½ year old daughter and those pics reminded of her, she doesn’t walk, why bother when you can run. And she never ever walks on the road, she hops on the rock’s, climbs across fallen trees etc. I have a friend living near by and on the way to hers there is these big cliff, about 2 meters high on the most, everytime we pass it, she has to go on the cliff, not beside it where the road is, everytime we argue where is the good place to come down, where mom says or where she thinks I love her and I’ve given up the hope, she will never learn, my lil monkey.

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bev On Friday, August 22 at 8:58 am

so cute…but wait….it looks to me like he may have left his top button undone! Oh my! My boy used to button his all the way up too. So funny!

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anniebanannie On Friday, August 22 at 9:05 am

Can your four year old and my four year old get married? Not now….maybe in twenty-plus years? I promise she is adorable. It would be a lovely union!

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Cindy On Friday, August 22 at 9:09 am

My baby is 25 but she’s still just darn cute to me! My husband is “the baby” and his 90 year old dad STILL introduces him (56) as “this is our baby”……so, it NEVER goes away for some people

hello ree!
I’ve been reading and exploring your site for about a month now. your kids n doggies are so darn adorable and i would give anything to have a home like that. i always wanted to experience ranch life with all it’s hearty food and hearty landscapes and hearty sunshine and hearty.. horse poo on jeans? *gulp*
i’ve even been toying with the idea of begging you to let me stay for awhile to take photos (i’m a 19-year old photography major student from singapore, do check out my websites up there!) for a school project. heheh! i’ll do your laundry and wash your dishes if you’ll feed me and house me?

Don’t know if you’ll read this, but when my baby boy was about four years old, he had the sweetest pair of little blue jeans that I just loved to see him wear. When he outgrew them, I cut them up (very carefully) and sewed a little purse for myself. He’s 8 now and I love carrying that purse around. It’s the perfect size for a wallet, keys, and cell phone.

You could use the shirt as a liner for the purse… and if you don’t sew, contact me on my blog and you can send them to me when he’s outgrown them and I’ll make one for you.

Alexandra On Monday, August 25 at 12:36 am

He’s so damned cute I could just eat him up! My baby (OK, I only have 1 child, so he’s also my big boy!) is also 4 and he’s just not allowed to get any bigger. Actually, his butt’s about the same size in smallness as your son’s is. Sickening! I do love this age though and everything that goes with it. Strong wills and all. Great photos